SC allows ailing Italian marine fly home for 4 months

The top court was hearing a petition filed by ailing marine Massimiliano Latorre detained for the killing of two Indian fishermen in 2012.

On Friday, The Italian ambassador has given a written undertaking to judges that that Massimiliano Latorre will return to India in four months, after which SC gave the marine permission to fly home on medical grounds for four months.

Earlier, the apex court during a hearing on Monday, had asked the government to give its response by Friday after Italy’s foreign minister urged authorities to grant Massimiliano Latorre permission to head back home for medical treatment.

The government has told the court that it will not object to the accused marine’s petition.

As a matter of fact, Latorre was hospitalized recently in Delhi with ischaemia -- a restricted blood supply that can lead to a stroke, media reported.

Last year, the two marines went back home to cast their vote in national elections on condition that they would return to India and face pending trials.

But diplomatic tensions arose after Italy Government initially refused to send the marines back.

Following intense pressure from India, Italy agreed and sent the two marines to India. Italy's then-foreign minister resigned in the process.

47-year-old Latorre and fellow marine Salvatore Girone had been barred from leaving India pending a possible trial and have been living at Italy's embassy.

They are accused of shooting the two fishermen off the Kerala coast in February 2012 while they were assigned to protect an Italian-flagged oil tanker from pirates.

In defence, the Italian sailors said they mistook the fishing boat for a pirate vessel and fired what were intended to be warning shots.